Reborn.1738

I heard somewhere that it was all reused assets, so... 700KB? jk probably like 10GB who knows

People actually look at other's AP? Strange. Never bothered me in the slightest if someone else has a bigger number than me.

I think stacking is a bit strange. I understand why it exists, short range and duration boons requiring continuous upkeep, healing being much easier when players are close to each other, and because there isn't a traditional "tank" role that other MMOs tend to have it is easier to control and predict enemies when your squad are in the same space. The problem, at least the way I see it, is that the stacking meta becomes very difficult to read when you have many allied AoEs, pets (mechanist jade golem...), 10 players on top of each other with name tags, health bars. Then you throw in enemy AoEs, it does get a bit hectic. Newer encounters have better telegraphed attacks and AoEs which helps, in fairness. But the combination of all of these can lead to a confusing scenario for some players and people watching streams/videos. I think stacking is only really a problem in 10 player content (anything more than that, ie open world and wvw, is going to be zergy, can't do much about that). In 5 player content that's half the AoEs, half the players, and then you get fractal instabilities that prevent or make it harder to stack. A solution could be to increase boon range, but then it makes healing and reviving more difficult as players space out more. So the stack would remain to keep the healing roles effective. Or you make heal AoEs bigger... then you end up with a snowball effect. I suppose you have abilities like Search and Rescue which provide ranged revives, but that isn't available for every class. One other potential solution could be make encounters that promote splitting the squad. 10 player squads are usually split into 2 sub groups for effective boons and healing - creating encounters that take advantage of that would mean you have 2 smaller stacks rather than 1 large one. Reasoning for this - stacking isn't such a visual mess in 5 player content. And each subgroup (in optimal play) would have "one of each" - heals, boons, dps, a tank depending on encounters. Each sub group should be effective as it's own unit. Although in reality the worst part of stacking is the visual clutter from AoEs. If there was a way to hide or reduce the effects of less important AoEs, hide other's pets, reduce flashiness, it would go a long way without having to deviate from the way GW2 is currently designed.

I don't think we need new mounts. But new masteries or abilities on existing mounts? That I can get behind. Skimmer - already got the underwater upgrade. Could pursue underwater abilities further if Anet ever remember they have underwater systems Springer - Maybe some kind of kick ability to smash through big rocks? Jackal - Dig up buried treasure? I would say something like a sense ability but I guess there's that Jade Bot skill now Raptor? Maybe it could get a climb ability with it's powerful claws? Scale certain walls and inclines by digging in with it's talons Siege Turtle - Lean in to it's unique combat abilities. Give it some support specialisations. New abilities that let it toss out some boons, heals, barriers to players. And give the driver a weapon. And then we have all of those forgotten masteries from previous expansions that could be incorporated into the game better. Oakheart's Reach - Offer another way to train this so newer players don't have to level up 5 Ancient Magics. Then they could add these to newer maps and design around them Bouncing Mushrooms - Largely superceded by the Springer, but always fun to use. Add more bounce pads to navigate maps. Gliding? Yes, gliders are given to EoD players now. But I don't think there are many/any updrafts used in the newer maps? Updrafts and lean gliding are fun, they could be used more. Honestly the only new mount I think could be good is a social mount. a full party mount. Maybe one that could fly? And we already have a "social" mount in the Skiff. Might be a far out idea, but give the Skiff a mastery so that it could "fly" like a light airship. Some Jade Tech/Aetherblade/Asuran tech upgrade to the engine idk. Then you have a 5 person flying mount, without adding more mount bloat.

It's coming along with the "reduce other's combat effects" option... any day now... Serious though would love this. Having 5 purple daggers above my Virtuoso's head all the time gets old. An "only show in combat" toggle would be appreciated.

Why not both? I'd ask why do we need a new map with a new meta every patch? What's stopping Anet from alternating? They could have a mixture: Have a new story in an existing map - LWS1 and parts of 2 did this Focus on instanced content for a patch - add a couple of Fractals/Dungeons/5 player, or Strikes/Raids/10 player Have a new map, new meta, smaller story like we got with Gyala Delve Reuse old maps/instances to make new content Take an old dungeon map and add a new dungeon/fractal based on it. Do a Dragon Response Mission style thing that's just a section of an open world map, but instanced Looking at other MMOs, particularly FFXIV - they re-use old dungeons all the time with "hard modes" in order to increase content. Anet would be able to tell new stories using existing assets and create new content. Seems like a win win win situation to me

There was a reddit thread on siege turtles and giving them a flamethrower ability for the driver (which had some grade A artwork). But yeah turtles need a better way for the driver to do combat in besides stomping and hovering. Either seat swapping to the cannons, or having a more useful combat ability for the driver. Oh, and a mastery to mount up during combat on a cooldown...

Would love to set it so it's default for anyone to hop in. Sometimes I forget to hit the toggle...

We don't need a new mount, especially one that could fly unlimited. It would make pretty much every other mount obsolete. We already have a jack of all trades mount that makes most of the others less relevant - Skyscale. Now, an "eastern dragon" skin for a skyscale, that would be good. So far practically all the mount skins have been based on the same skeleton. Make it a new skeleton rig, make it a 1600 gem skin. Profit.

Zojja was replaced with Taimi. No need for two tech wiz Asura

For a dedicated passenger mount, a Skiff mastery that turns it into a mini airship? Would be equal parts ridiculous, hilarious, and awesome Think it's water based turning circle but in the air, and maybe as fast as it's Speed 1 or 2. Have it fly 10-20ft off the ground, and the "anchor" ability becomes a ladder to embark/disembark. Then a skill to transform back into boat mode over water. 10/10 would joyride. Edit - quick search on youtube: Tunneling - I imagine when people see this they think full underground go where you want diggy diggy? But in reality I can't see it being more than a tunnel entrance that warps you to an underground layer of a map, like a Skritt tunnel or the Nuhoch Wallows. We don't need a brand new mount, new keybind, entirely new mastery track, just to interact with a tunnel entrance. And yeah, my ideas were to make older mounts useful again. Griffon and Skyscale have completely outclassed every other "basic" mount. I use my Jackal out of spite these days. We don't need more mounts, we need more mount abilities!

Dungeons were replaced with Fractals, then (I guess) Fractals were attempted to be replaced by Dragon Response Missions? But the players went back to Fractals because they were better than DRMs... Dungeons could definitely use some love, but it only needs to be a relatively light touch balance pass, then they should add new stuff instead. A new collection of fractals, a couple of new "whatever-they-want-to-call-5-player-content"s. EoD was absent of any new 5 player content as they focused on 10 player strikes instead I think 5 player content is the sweet spot and Anet should definitely create more of it. 10 person gets a bit flashy with all the AoEs and effects, 5 is mostly tolerable in that regard.

Alternative question: "What would be the next (existing) mount's ability?" Most mounts have a couple of spare ability slots (2, 3, 4) - we could think of ways that the existing roster could be augmented rather than adding another one trick pony (no, no ponies, there are no horses here!) Springer - Add a Kick skill. Could be used to push boulders around, activate bulkier switches, smash walls (like roller beetle). Maybe a new kind of open world puzzle related to them Jackal - Add a detect ability? Ping hidden enemies, find buried caches with a dig skill? Raptor - Talons. Maybe a way for them to latch on to walls, limited climb ability? Maybe another ability with it's tail, but I can't think of one now. Skimmer - Well, they already got the underwater upgrade. Not sure what else could be added. Maybe a speed boost ability? Griffin/Skyscale/Roller beetle are probably fine as they are? Turtle - Make Skill 1 be a driver operated repeater turret/flame thrower from the dragon mouth on the existing models - this can be set to auto attack. Put slam on 4. Maybe add some support skill on 2,3 that offers healing/boons? Would be OP, but it's open world only and would help more people realise the power of boons

Or get rid of breathers, use your helm stats underwater, add a dedicated swim speed infusion to another gear slot - backpack, or helmet? Don't know what to do with the breather cosmetics though, immersion factor of wearing a breather under water etc. That's just like, your opinion man. It definitely could use some polish and refinement, but I think it's far from garbage. Suppose that depends on the class you've chosen though. My Scrapper, Reaper, Virtuoso all feel quite playable underwater.

The Skimmer is faster than swimming tbf. I think I'd prefer it if they upgraded the Skimmer more rather than introduce a new mount though. We have 8, 9 including Warclaw and a few of them are running the risk of becoming obsolete. It's main ability (navigating over dangerous terrain) has not been used in EoD, and it feels like it's being positioned as the aquatic mount now - with the surface boost and the more recently added underwater ability. Introduce an unlock for the Skimmer in the next EoD chapter when Anet do a full water/ocean map (right guys, right?...) to give players who don't have it. Although there is the problem of earning mastery xp for it without PoF maps. As for underwater combat changes. Yes please. If we could use our land weapons underwater and half of the skills weren't locked out... Then add spear/trident/harpoon gun as "new" weapon types that can be used on land or underwater.

Still faster than swimming though? Underwater Skimmer is great.

I thought that the turtle mount could probably use some augments or customisation to fill this sort of role. Give the "driver" a weapon of some kind, maybe a small jade blaster that they can use so they're not just stomping. Allow the owner to specify a "role" for the turtle. Make it a Jade Bot enhancement or something. Healer - deploy regenerative fields and a burst aoe heal, maybe an Aegis skill? Offensive Support - Basically the Jade Tech Offensive buffs Defensive Support - Basically the Jade Tech Defensive buffs Debuffer - maybe a cannon mode that provides different debuffs like weakness and slow to enemies? Cannons/DPS - as it is now, possibly a few tweaks.

I don't think we don't need new mounts. The only other modes of transport I can think of is maybe... tunnelling, grappling, or climbing? We already have a grapple mastery from LWS3 that has been largely unused outside of a couple of zones. Bring that back somehow? Climbing? Well... Springer can already jump pretty high tbf. Tunnelling. I suppose if the next expansion was the Depths of Tyria... But we already have that tunnel mastery from HoT. Again, largely unused outside of it's own zones. Maybe a party sized mount - like some kind of 5 man boat that could hover over the land. Yeah gimme a hoverskiff upgrade Anet. Otherwise just add some different style mount skins, with different skeletons. Saltspray Skyscale or something idk

Bumping this. I posted about this around the time of EoD launch. I have mount skills bound to keys 4 and 5. I can't use depth charges or boost on my skiff now other than clicking on them. Which makes it a pain as I need to stop steering to use a boost.

How to counter the inconvenience of being knocked off your mount and having to deal with being slowed down: Raptor can leap over many obstacles, enemies included. Use your leap ability to avoid mobs. Skimmer's hover ability (I think) brings you out of AoE range, and possibly attack too? Jackal's teleport can be used to move past mobs Roller Beetle goes so fast you won't even see the mobs (unless you lose momentum) Skyscale and Griffin can very easily avoid them by getting in the air Siege Turtle has a break bar and you won't get knocked off easily Siege Turtle has a mastery that gives every mount an HP buff LWS4 has mount masteries that give you temporary HP buff, mount stamina recharge Icebrood Saga has a mastery that gives all your mounts stealth In the event that you do get knocked off your mount: Glider can be used in combat, so you can leap off a ledge and float away Superspeed/Swiftness skills exist Kill the mobs and mount up, probably quicker than kiting them until they get bored

You can't even mount the combat mount in combat. Let us mount the siege turtle in combat at least, on a cool down.

I think having masteries tied to maps is generally good for the game so we are "encouraged" to go play in those maps. Although I believe that map currencies and rewards probably do a better job of that, since you can complete masteries and then you don't need to stick in those zones. I think there are some masteries that could do with being global though. Fishing mastery as an example can only be levelled in Cantha, I'd love to be able to level fishing mastery anywhere when I fish. Make it feel like I'm getting better at the act by doing it rather than grinding events unrelated to the act of fishing.

Or... Remove the aquabreather slot entirely and just let your helmet work as the stat underwater

Seaglider mastery Deploy a hand operated Seaglider that allows the user various utilities while exploring under the waves. It probably would overlap with the Skimmer a bit, or make it slightly redundant, so it wouldn't be quite as fast. Or maybe the Skimmer gets an underwater speed burst. I was thinking it would act more like a glider in the sense that you could use it to interact with underwater currents, act as a quick getaway like how you can glide to escape combat. Potentially the mastery line could be just further enhancements to the Skimmer. But this would mean you wouldn't have to grind out the underwater skimmer master and have an alternative. Also, it'd be cool. Tier 1 - Seaglider You can now use your seaglider when under the waves. You can use an ability to give your seaglider a short forward boost. The seaglider has a built in lamp that will illuminate darker underwater caves. Tier 2 - Sonar Unlock the seaglider's sonar ability. Use this to detect underwater caches of treasure. Sonar ping will point in the direction of the loot (like treasure maps in PoF) Tier 3 - Torpedos Unlock the seaglider's torpedo ability. Use this to crack open underwater boulders and fissures to find secret treasure and caves. Tier 4 - Current Drifter Unlock the seaglider's ability to drift along underwater current streams. Gives the player a large speed boost while travelling along these currents, but only in the direction it flows.

It's a dragon mount. That's all it took for me.